Eternity
by TiredGreenEyes
Summary: RPM: Following episode 32. The story of how Ziggy and Dr. K might have finally ended up tieing the knot. 4 parts. Complete
1. Chapter 1

Hello all. I was just reading "The second war" fanfic by xEdwardxlovex and I decided I needed to get in on the fun fanfiction action again. (If you're reading Edwardlove, Hope you don't mind my advertising).

Exploring Ziggy and Dr. K's slowly evolving relationship. Do people this slow have any chance of ever being married?

Well here's one theory of how it happened.

Picking up from episode 32, end of series.

* * *

_5 years after Venjix, Upstairs, in the teacher's dormitories._

If Dillon or any of the other rangers had the pleasure of viewing Ziggy right now they'd have laughed. Not because he was being clumsy or looking ridiculous- actually those sorts of things were so obviously Ziggy that they barely did more than glance when they happened. But being a teacher had somewhat of a strange effect on _Mr_. Grover (as his students called him.)

Firstly, he was sitting at a _desk_. That alone was a rarity.

Secondly he was wearing a white button up dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up.

And thirdly, on his nose were perched-yes!- a pair of _spectacles_.

Actually, the combination of those elements, along with the exploding haircut that resembled Einstein's, made him look rather knowledgeable. In fact, as he sat there, grading papers with a look of concentration on his face… he did look much older. More mature.

At that moment, Ziggy perked up slightly, noticing the shape in the doorway. Concern flickered briefly across his face before a grin replaced it.

"Doc K!" he exclaimed cheerfully. "Welcome, welcome to my humble domain!"

'_Mature,_' she reflected wryly. '_Until he opens his mouth._' While he chattered on cheerfully she walked over and sat on the edge of his bench. The floor was covered with different piles of papers, most of them artwork that the kids had drawn for class, waiting to be handed back or hung up in the different classrooms.

Their school had been a raving success. Obviously the funds for getting the school hadn't been a problem. Nor had hiring other teachers for subjects they didn't care to teach such as English (Ziggy thought Harry Potter should be included, Dr. K insisted that all sixth graders should read the Illiad and the oddessy) and History (which country's history? Should they talk about what had happened in Corinth or focus more on current events?)

In the end, possible enrollment for the school was so high they'd had to reconsider their original plan. So many of their potential students were the children of parents who were hoping Dr. K could teach their twelve year olds College level Biology. None of them- as Ziggy pointed out- were kids from the area who needed to enroll in school. They were all rich kids whose parents were willing to relocate so their child could have the best education. And while that was all well and good… even Dr. K wasn't comfortable with students from one particular background making up 99% of the enrollment. It would be like teaching an entire school of little Summer Landsdales. (A/N: the old one, that is)

So they'd ended up building their private school in the middle of downtown, where there seemed to be a combination of lower, middle and upper class. Ziggy's infamous orphanage was only two blocks away. They still had access to the public transportation system in case they needed to return to the city. Everything fell into place.

And now here they were, five years later. Dr. K was twenty-one years old. She was older than all the rangers had been when they'd destroyed Venjix. She was old enough to legally drink in all the former countries (Corinth only had an 18 year old drinking limit. Ziggy had tried to talk her into having a wine cooler on her 18th birthday but she'd refused entirely. He did manage, however, to get her to accept a walk in the park with him. And when they'd been building the school he'd commanded that large windows be put in her room so she could feel the sun and the breeze whenever she wished.)

It was always the little things that he did that completely stumped her. There was simply no logic to him at all. Every time she thought she had him figured out he'd do something that completely surprised her or threw her off guard.

"So anyway, that's why I decided that I'd have the kids do the skit about the manatee instead of the dancing lobsters!" Ziggy finished as he threw his pen triumphantly on the desk. "Ziggy promises… Ziggy delivers!"

Dr. K looked at him dryly. "Ziggy… it's twenty minutes past midnight. Why aren't you sleeping?"

He looked back at her like she was crazy. Laughing a little he replied, "You know, you're one to talk. You used to go days without sleep back when we were rangers."

Dr. K tried not to snap at him. Really, he was so incompetent when it came to excuses. "We were fighting for our lives Ziggy. I don't think the situations compare."

Ziggy half shrugged. "Yeah, well…" he flipped his spectacles off his face and onto the desk. "I can't shake this cold. I've been getting behind on grading… so I thought I'd try to get caught up before Friday so I can hand everything back."

Dr. K watched him brush a hand over his face. He smiled brightly and acted energetic but she didn't miss him red rimmed eyes or the weary slump to his shoulders. He had been sick lately…just a head cold, or so he said. But of course, Ziggy loved being around the kids so much that trying to weasle out of it was out of the question. He had simply gone through his day cheerfully, walked up the three flights of steps to the teacher's dormitory and started grading papers. The idiot.

Really, he was truly an idiot. If he'd just taken two days off he'd be better by now and caught up in his work. Hadn't he learned anything from teaching these past four years? Sighing she looked at the floor and the random piles again.

"Well," she said tonelessly. "Since I am unable to reach the REM cycle tonight due to the caffeinated beverage you insisted I drink earlier… perhaps I could help you with your projects."

Ziggy smiled again. He ran a hand through his hair. "Sure… that's be great. I have a rubric for this one actually… you'd be proud of me Dr. K. You just have to look over the stack of pictures and check to make sure that they have the requirements for full credit."

"Easy enough," Dr. K held out her hand and he gave her the rubric and the pile of sketches from the 7th grade art class. They had barely opened the school when Ziggy had admitted that he hoped to do an art class as well as the drama/puppeteering and cooking. Dr. K had asked him if he was qualified and he'd shown her some of his sketches. He may not have had an arts degree but it seemed useless for someone who clearly knew his craft. She'd been amazed at the drawings and cartoons that had litered his notebook. She come across one a very large detailed sketch of herself at her computer desk eating Mr. Marshmellow. Ziggy had blushed crimson and muttered something when she'd asked if she could keep it. It was in her desk drawer now, beside the pencil that Gem and Gemma had given to her on her sixteeth birthday.

She flipped through the different assignments. For a while they worked silently, side by side for a while, K quickly going through her stack while Ziggy stumbled through his lesson plans. He was mumbling something about spice cake when she interrupted him.

"This is rather exceptional," she showed him the sketch that Georgie Petershine had done of several animals lined up. A bear, a whale, a wolf… it was quite obviously a tribute to the ranger animal symbols. Even after the war, the power rangers were celebrities. Most of the students were ecstatic to find out that their theater arts teacher was the green ranger… an emotion that was quickly followed by amazement and bewilderment as soon as they got to know him.

"Yeah… Georgie's pretty much good at everything," Ziggy yawned. "Even science and math, right?"

"Affirmative. I find that usually the students who do poorly in my classes are the ones who do well in yours. And vice versa."

"It's not hard to do bad in your classes K. You're an absolute slave driver."

Dr. K raised her eyebrows and allowed a very slight smile to rise to her face. "I admit, when I started by classes I may have set my standards too high-"

"Um... too high?" Ziggy asked grinning. "You mean, _impossible,_ right?"

"Ranger green… if you do not calm down I shall be forced to relate to you one of your first year teaching mishaps-"

Ziggy threw up his hands. "No! I mean, I'm great, thanks. What were we talking about again? Because I know it wasn't your lowering the bar to meet the minds of us mere mortals…"

K shook her head and marked the drawing as a 15/15. Ziggy snapped his fingers.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. I heard from Flynn today. Apparently him and Gemma have something going on right?"

Dr. K nodded. The topic was both uncomfortable and relieving. "Yes. Luckily Gem has established his own social life in the military and is more accepting of the idea," she allowed herself to chuckle. "It took a very long time though."

"Not as long as us," Ziggy said softly.

Dr. K looked up in alarm. He was looking away, but there was a strange look on his face… like a combination of bravery and fear.

"Look… K… we've been over this. I know I always joked around about girls… but we both know the truth. I want to be with you."

The air grew very tense. Dr. K took a deep breath, not trusting herself to say anything. Ziggy sat up straight and turned his swivel chair to face her.

"Look… I'm not saying this because I want to demand all the rights that a husband and wife can command from one another. I know we're not there yet. You barely let me kiss you… much less…" Ziggy looked embarrassed for a moment but finished determinedly, "I want to be with you. I'm never going to want to be with anyone else. And I know you're probably one of those women who prefers to be a smart independent feminist who never gets married… but… but I want that _bond_. I want that promise of eternity."

Dr. K was fascinated. She stared at him in wonder. "Why?" she whispered finally, pushing aside the fact that he had- for all extents and purposes- just proposed to her. "Is there an explanation as to why you need this?"

Ziggy exhaled. Closing his eyes he ruffled his fingers through his hair. "No. Yes. I dunno. Maybe. Maybe it's that I grew up in the foster care system and I never had anyone I could depend on to always be there."

She understood that. How could she not? The rangers were the only family she had. _Ziggy_ was the most important family she had. And she had to admit, the jokes he made about girls made her uneasy. What if one day some girl actually did notice that he was not at all unattractive and that his personality, while often obnoxious and loud, was also comforting and dependable. Or if, by chance, they realized some of his other outstanding qualities, (the ones that she'd always noticed but had refused to tell him about.) Like the fact that he never gave up. Or that he had complete faith in his friends. Or that, even when he was with the Cartels all those years, he always sent back portions of the money they'd taken from different businesses back to the respective stores.

Or the fact that he did community service, although his probation period ended and he was no longer required to.

Or his ability to cheer people up, often at the expense of his dignity… (well, if he had dignity…)

The list went on.

_Eternity_…

She couldn't loose him.

But she couldn't accept. Maybe the independent feminist observation was more true than she knew.

But on the other hand…. She couldn't handle the thought of being alone forever. Except for the two agents in Alphabet soup, she'd grown up almost entirely by herself. It wasn't an experience she cared to repeat.

"Do I have to give my answer now?" she asked finally. Ziggy had been looking at her with an expression that said if she didn't say something soon he was going to explode. At her response he promptly jumped to his feet in celebration and shouted a resounding "YES!" Dr. K stared at him in astonishment. She stood up, the papers on her lap falling to the floor.

"Ziggy… you are aware I did not say I accepted, are you not?"

Ziggy grinned at her. "You didn't say no!"

She blinked. "Well… no. Did you think I would?"

Ziggy laughed. "Are you kidding me? Dr. K… you haven't even admitted you like me yet."

"I don't!" The answer was so immediate, so normal that it came out before she had even stopped to consider. She pressed a hand to her lips in amazement as he laughed again.

"That's exactly what I mean," he looked at her carefully now, the smile fading. "If you didn't say no… then maybe that means… that you do."

Dr. K looked up at him. They were standing very close. She knew his exactly height and weight thanks to the ranger series program but she'd never considered how her five foot two frame measured in comparison.

"Maybe it does," she agreed quietly, unable to say it completely. And when she looked at him and saw his acceptance, she realized that for perhaps the first time in her life, she had found someone who understood.

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This is part 1/4. Please review. I know Power rangers fanfics are not as popular as say, Harry Potter, but I would appreciate it. :D


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for all the people who put his on favorites and story alert... I was kinda embarassed. Hahah.

Here's 2/4

It's a bit short.

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They had always believed that there were many secret hidden colonies of people all over the earth. Corinth, of course, stood the best chance of survival but many places had been hidden so cleverly that they'd managed to survive the two years underground. When the people started returning to the surface, they started to rebuild the world they once knew. And it was in one of these small colonies where Dillon, Tenaya and Summer had ended up.

Summer sounded slightly miffed about being woken up at three a.m. Still, Dr. K had found it necessary. She had read in one of the surveys given by the Women's Society Group funded in England in the late nineties that in matters of relationships it was always best to consult an older person of the same gender, preferably a Mother figure. And while Summer was not her mother, nor her mentor, she was older and more experienced in matters of the heart.

"Summer, for perhaps the first time ever I am forced to come to you for a second opinion about a certain subject," she began, after identifying herself. Summer was mumble incoherently and Dillon was moaning something in the background about telling whoever it was to shut up and go to Hades.

"Did something happen?" Summer asked as the call reception grew a bit clearer. Dr. K got the feeling that she was moving, perhaps walking into a different room. She placed a hand to her head.

"Not in the sense you are referring." Dr. K swallowed. "Actually… I was calling in hopes of some… girl talk."

Summer seemed to growl a bit. "Dr. K, I don't mind talking, but it's three o'clo-" There was a pause and a soft gasp as if Summer was just now realizing the rarity of someone like _Dr. K _calling just for the sake of 'girl talk.' She changed her tune quickly.

"What happened? Is it Ziggy? Are you fighting?"

Dr. K rolled her eyes. "We fight every day. We always recover. I think it would be possibly more damaging to the both of us if we didn't argue."

"Well then?" Summer asked, more gently. "Is he pushing you?"

Dr. K could think of no soft way to break it. "He wants to marry me."

There was a sudden clunking sound along with a choice swearword. She picked up the phone again and gasped, "He what?!"

K sighed. When she'd called Summer she'd forgotten that in such an abnormal relationship such as the one between herself and Ziggy there may be need of further explanation.

"He said that he wants to be with me. Only me. And that… even if I do not wish to become intimate he wants to have a promise of eternity. Once one cuts out the poetry, Ziggy has quite simply just asked to marry me. No string attached I suppose."

Summer chuckled. "He's a guy Dr. K. He eventually will want some of those strings."

Dr. K sighed again. "I want to be with him too," she admitted. Why was it so much easier to admit that to Summer than it was to him?

"Because you're afraid of loosing him," Summer replied. Dr. K startled, not realizing she'd voice the question aloud. "That's why you pushed all of us away. Letting people into your life after you've been hurt the way you have… it's not easy. It takes time."

Dr. K opened her mouth to speak but Summer beat her to it. "But you've had time Dr. K. It's been five years. We're not teenagers anymore. And Ziggy's grown up a little… though he'll always be Ziggy. You're not protecting yourself anymore. You're just being stubborn."

Dr. K, who was not used to being chastised, looked at her puppy slippers in silence. Summer sighed.

"You don't just like him. You love him, don't you Dr. K?"

K squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't answer, but of course, Summer already knew.

"You better tell him that you do."

"Can't I just wait until he asks and I can say no and he can say that he understands and smile and know what I really mean?" Dr. K asked desperately.

Summer laughed. It was always so interesting to see Dr. K, so good with logical and deductive thinking, in the throws of emotional drama. It was a bit like trying to take the sarcastic Dr. House from his TV show and throw him into a soap opera.

"Dr. K… has Ziggy told you he loves you?"

Dr. K shook her head. "Negative," she whispered.

"Ah…" Summer said. "Then I guess he's scared too."

For some reason that piece of information calmed her nerves. She stood up from her bed and began pacing the room.

"Things were going so well… so normally. I knew what to expect. I was comfortable." K closed her eyes. "Why did it have to change?"

Summer's answer was sincere and immediate. "Because even though it's frightening change can make the quality of our lives even better."

"And if I choose for things to remain the same?" Dr. K challenged.

"Well… if that's what you tell him you want… then that's probably what will happen."

And that… was the most frightening conclusion of all.

* * *

Thanks very much for reading.

F.P.


	3. Chapter 3

Once again, thank you everyone for the lovely reviews/story alerts. I know this isn't the best writing out there, but I'm humbled you enjoy reading it.

* * *

She didn't see him again until lunch the next day. The student were all yelling and carrying on in a normal fashion, the cafeteria monitors for the day were Ms. Greer and Dr. Hart. Dr. K sat at her table in the teacher's lounge eating a packet of Mr. Marshmellow.

It was then he burst in. He smiled slightly as he fell into the seat beside her, dropping his lunch tray on the table. She stared at him.

"Ziggy… are you alright?"

His face was so pale it looked translucent. Nonetheless he simply rolled his eyes.

"Nope. I'm still got my cold. Actually I nipped out to get some meds this morning."

Dr. K growled. He looked surprised for a moment before he laughed.

"Whoa Dr. K… that's kinda creepy. I didn't know you could make a sound like that!"

She had just about enough of his antics. Honestly, was this the man she was supposed to be trusting her life with? He could barely take care of _himself!_ Perhaps she should try to find the holding table she'd used for Dillon when she had to scan his body to calculate the spread of the virus. If she strapped Ziggy down then he'd _have_ to take the day off.

"Ranger green… what exactly is your issue? I seem to recall that in the past you often looked for an opportunity to relieve yourself of your duties. Now you have one and you insist on continuing your teaching at the risk of infecting our students."

His face fell a little. Dr. K tried not to feel bad and failed. He looked like kicked puppy.

"Well…I'm not really that sick Dr. K. It's just allergies."

"Allergies," she said deadpan, not believing it.

"Sure!" Ziggy said quickly. "I mean, this is the first year that the dome hasn't had the air filtration system. And… well now there's a lot more pollen and dust in the air. I used to get sick every year from it. It's just a little worse this year, that's all."

"And I suppose you think the fever, loss of voice, and pale complexion are merely additional side effects?"

"Uh… yeah?"

Dr. K massaged her temples. Abruptly, she stood up and grabbed him by the tie, hoisting him to his feet. Ignoring his random protests she walked him down the hall, past the onlookers and to the elevator.

"Hey, watch it Dr. K," Ziggy rasped, grabbing his collar to pull it from his throat. "Are you trying to kill me?"

She ignored his words, focusing on pressing the elevator buttons.

"What are you doing?"

Dr. K glanced at him. "Taking you upstairs."

Ziggy shook his head. "K-"

"Yes?"

"Look, I like teaching okay? And I am careful. I wash my hands and everything."

"Yes, your personal hygiene skills quite amaze me." Dr. K said dryly.

He gave her a look of frustration; the one where his nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed slightly. Dr. K had always found the look to be more attracting than frightening. She reached out and took his hand.

"Come on," she said firmly. "I still have my own biomedical equipment in my office upstairs. If I can determine the cause of your illness I can most likely create some sort of antibacterial medication that would reduce your symptoms better than Theraflu."

Ziggy snorted. "Well yeah, considering it's you… you probably can." He suddenly looked hopeful. "Could you possibly make one without the drowsiness side effect? I bought the 'Day Time' one but it's not working too great."

"That's because you were up until two in the morning."

"Oh. Right."

The doors opened and she led him into her office. One of the things that she missed about the garage was how much space she had. Here she had only half the space as before, although most of the equipment was still there. She also had a very large office over at the military base where she was occasionally called in for conferences regarding new defense mechanisms.

"Okay… you need to open your mouth so I can examine your throat," she told him as she searched through her bag for the proper machine. Ziggy was looking around her office with a familar look of amazement.

"And again I ask… where do you sleep in here?" he wondered.

She reached over and grabbed him by the chin and forced her examinational beacon down his throat. He gagged and grabbed her by the shoulders, pushing her away.

"Sorry," he coughed. "Automatic reaction."

"Quite all right. I was able to take the picture," Dr. K took out the clip and pushed it into her computer system. Clicking away at a few keys, the images popped up onto the screen. Ziggy immediately pulled a face.

"Ugh… that's disgusting."

She smiled a little. "I concur. While congestion of the sinuses is common for allergies, I doubt it would appear this severe unless you're experiencing some sort of special reaction."

He peered over her shoulder, still grimacing. "Fine… so it's not allergies. So I made that up. I just thought that if I could make it to Friday… I'd have the weekend to recover."

"That's what you said last weekend. And we ended up spending time with Colonel Truman and Scott."

"My intentions were good." He rested his chin on her shoulder. He felt warm, though it may have been from the fever.

"Success is judged by results… not intentions," she informed him while she punched numbers into her computer system.

"You made that up," he chuckled.

"No, I stole it from Circio. I may have adapted it to fit the situation."

"In other words, you made it up."

She clicked the enter button. "Precisely."

Dr. K worked in silence a few moments longer, Ziggy looking sleepily over her shoulder, not really knowing what any of the number meant. At times he would look up at the clock in concern before settling back, half asleep, on her shoulder again. Dr. K wondered if he really expected her to build him a vaccination in twenty minutes. Was he really that gullible or did he simply believe her capable of anything?

"Well… I can't be sure without an oxygen saturation test… but I'd say according to your symptoms and the wonderful photograph of your throat… you have bronchitis."

Ziggy jerked back from her, his eyes widening in disbelief. "Wha? No way! It's just a cold!"

Dr. K looked at him in exasperation. "Your trachea is inflamed. The mucous lining of your airways is swollen. In addition with symptoms like your cough, congestion and sore throat, I'd say that it's bronchitis. But I'm going to test your finger just be certain." She moved to the other end of the lab and began pulling random scanners from the different bins, looking for the proper cabeling units. Ziggy looked worriedly at the clock.

"We're running out of time," he cautioned.

Dr. K picked up the machine. Ziggy looked uneasy.

"Wait… on my finger? This isn't a needle is it? I hate needles!"

She rolled her eyes. "It is only a sensor which is placed on the finger in order to determine if oxygen is reaching your blood cells."

"Oh." He reached out his hand cautiously and she attached the sensor. "So why does it need to go on my hand if it's measuring oxygen? I mean, I don't breathe through my hand."

"At the moment you're not breathing enough through the airways either." She waited for the readings. "Process confirmed. You have bronchitis."

"Perfect…" Ziggy muttered. "That means your going to make me stay in bed for a week."

Dr. K shook her head. "No, but I am going to insist you stay home from school."

"Thanks Mom," Ziggy looked dejected. Dr. K looked at him curiously.

"Really Ziggy… if these results are any indication you must be feeling terrible. What on earth would make you want to continue until Friday?"

Ziggy regarded her with a serious expression. Swallowing he looked at his feet. "I'm not sure I can tell you."

Dr. K blinked at him. She had been fairly sure that there was almost nothing that he hadn't told her. She knew about his prison record, his time with the Scorpion Cartels, even about his being taken away from his mother by the state of Minnesota to be placed in the foster home.

"Ziggy…" she hesitated. "You can trust me. I promise whatever it is… I'll do my best to help."

He shook his head.

"No really!" she touched his shoulder. "I will!"

Ziggy sighed, hanging his head. "Alright…" he paused. "It's just…"

"Yes?" Dr. K asked, slightly suspicious now. If she wasn't mistaken there was a slight smirk under all that hair.

Ziggy took a deep breath. "My shadow puppets!" he burst out. "I wanted to do the shadow puppet show and the kindergarteners just mastered the story of the ladder and the ax… and I was going to teach them how to do the manatee today!"

Dr. K attempted to keep a straight face. She put a hand over her mouth and turned. Ziggy grabbed her wrist.

"No covering it up!" he commanded. When she looked back a grin was all over his skinny, white face. "I love it when you smile."

She smacked him on the shoulder.

"Ouch!" Ziggy cried dramatically.

"Serves you right!" Dr. K cried, "Ziggy I thought you were actually troubled about something! You… you…" she whacked him again. "You… WASTE OF HUMAN PROTOPLASM!"

"I don't even know what that means!" Ziggy teased as he evaded her punches. "And as you know, if I don't know what it means it technically isn't an insul- OW! Hey, that one actually did hurt!"

Dr. K giggled as he jumped back and forth, evading her reach. Finally he grabbed her arms, holding them down while she squirmed.

"Geeze, you're stronger than you look!" he gasped.

"Always the tone of surprise!" she said sarcastically.

He laughed and abruptly started to cough. Dr. K quit fighting, the smile falling off her face as Ziggy turned away to avoid wheezing in her face. He hacked until he was gasping, his chest heaving as he struggled to breathe.

Dr. K ran to her refrigerator (the same one which had at one time held the turbo blaster from Dillon's training) and rummaged for bottled water. Ziggy sat on her swivel chair, his bony elbows on his knees. He reached out gratefully.

"Sorry," he said hoarsely, after he'd taken a drink.

"It's alright," Dr. K looked at the clock. They should have been downstairs five minutes ago. Ziggy caught her gaze.

"We should go," he said. He wiped his brow with the back of his fist and sipped the water again. "I'll finish the day. We don't have a substitute."

Dr. K shook her head. "No. You're in no condition-"

"I've been doing this all day." Ziggy said quietly. He smiled, but it was a drained, tired smile, without his usually energy. "Don't worry. I washed my hands every time… I didn't want anyone to get sick. Although I think maybe that Benny was the one who got me sick to begin with. Kid always has a runny nose and never uses a tissue."

She glared at him. Ziggy had a small smile at the corner of his lips. He'd beaten her and he knew it.

"Well come on then," she said, crossing the room and opening the door. She looked at him again, a flicker of concern crossing her face. "I'll send one of my twelfth graders over to help you with the younger ones."

Ziggy started to protest then paused. "Okay," he said as the elevator opened. "Cool."

Very slowly, he reached over and slipped his hand into hers. She looked up at him with raised eyebrows.

"You've haven't washed your hands yet, Ranger green," she scoulded But instead of pulling away, she gently stretched her hand so their fingers were entwined. He gave her a look of slight surprise. She gave him a small smirk, the same kind he'd given her upstairs.

'_Who's beaten me now?_' she thought triumphantly as they stepped off the elevator. Then another thought hit her, making her uneasy.

'_I still haven't told him I love him_,' she thought, looking up at him and swallowing. '_And to be perfectly honest… I think I'd rather admit to the entire faculty staff that I was the inventor of the Venjix virus than tell him._'

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Oh... fluff. It warms the heart. :D

Thanks again!

-FP


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks very much for all the support everyone has shown! As promised, last chapter.

That being said… it's insanely wordy. And fluffy. It's fluffy too. I wanted it to be Dillon who had this conversation with Ziggy... but Flynn had other ideas. It's his fault, not mine. :)

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"Ziggy…" Flynn intoned as he sat down in the fluffy armchair and crossed his legs. "Would you like to explain what exactly is going on?"

Ziggy looked at him with obvious confusion. He raised an eyebrow quizzically.

"Um… I'm sorry I haven't been calling you as frequently? But that was at your own request if you remember."

It was Friday. By order of Dr. K, a substitute had been summoned and Ziggy was up in his room trying to stay awake out of spite when really all he wanted to do was sleep. Flynn had beeped him, telling him he was coming over. Five minutes later, he was outside his door, looking as annoyed and determined as he had in the old days when she'd spent an hour making a smoothy he never got to taste.

Flynn rolled his eyes. "I'm talking," he intoned, his accent making words nearly incomprehensible. "About you and Dr. K getting hitched."

Ziggy's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. He gaped at Flynn in obvious amazement.

"What the? No… wait, who told you that?"

"You mean it's not true?" Flynn asked suspiciously.

"No! I mean, well yes I did tell her… I… well, how do you know about this anyway?!" Ziggy was backpedaling and frontpedaling and every other kind of peddling at the moment. He simply couldn't see how Flynn- FLYNN of all people, had found out about his supposedly private conversation.

"Well… it's quite easy actually." Fynn said, a small twinkle to his eye. "Ya see… Dr. K called Summer, who of course told Dillon who of course, mentioned it to Scott, who told Gem who told Gemma who told me," he smirked. "And just in case you are reaching for some wee bit of hope, you can be sure that Tenaya has found out by now too."

"Dr. K called _Summer_!?" Ziggy put his hands to his head and pulled at his hair. "AHH!" he tried to scream. His voice cracked and he ended up whispering it. Stupid idiotic bronchial tubes or… well whatever Dr. K had said was the problem.

Flynn rolled his eyes, used to the antics of 'their little green friend.' "Stop with the dramatics already. You know if you're marrying her, than you would have had to tell us anyway."

Ziggy moaned and lowered his head to his knees without ever letting go of his hair. "I'm not marrying her!" he bemoaned.

Flynn looked astounded. "Wha… you mean, it was just a rumor…?"

"No!" Ziggy looked up. "I asked her. You know Dr. K… she has to think the whole thing out and probably research the scientific imbalances, weigh possible outcomes and whatever other sciency terms you can think of that would prevent her from giving a complete and definite answer," he said all this very quickly then gasped for breath at the end. "I'm doomed."

Thankfully this was Flynn, who was currently experiencing the first buds of a relationship at the moment and was feeling sympathetic to his cause. Had it been Scott, he would have just gotten laughed at. But Flynn liked Gemma. And Gemma was not your typical average girl. Like Dr. K, she was completely brilliant and in the emotional department she was… well, not lacking so much as… well, he wasn't sure what it was.

Flynn looked at Ziggy carefully. "Well now…" he said slowly. "Buck up Man. It's not like all is lost. She didn't say no."

Ziggy laughed. "That's what I thought," he said miserably. "But… she didn't say anything at all about it yesterday… and if she finds out that everyone knows about it and thinks she says yes… she'll freak out, you know she will. She'll say 'no' for real and then it really will all be over."

Flynn rubbed his chin. "Aye, you have a point," he agreed. No doubt about it, that was exactly what she would do.

It face, it may have been what she'd already decided to do… since he was fairly sure the boom twins had called her this morning to wish her their congratulations. Not that he was going to tell Ziggy that.

"What a disaster…" Ziggy said quietly, sitting upright. "I just wanted to be with her."

"You already are with her," Flynn pointed out.

"No," Ziggy rolled his eyes. "Well yeah… but… _with_ her. Like… together. Officially. Forever. An excuse to tell her I love her and get away with it."

Flynn suddenly had an inkling about what may have been going on. He looked sidely at Ziggy.

"Wait… you haven't told Dr. K you love her?" _Even when its so obvious?_

Ziggy looked at him as though he were crazy. "Um… well no. Every time I tell her I like her she brushes me off. Can you imagine what she'd do if I said _that_ instead? She'd hate me forever."

"You don't have very much confidence in yourself do you?" Flynn asked. He honestly thought Ziggy had done better with this sort of thing after everything they'd gone through.

Ziggy sighed. "I don't want to loose her," he admitted quietly. "And… I annoy her so easily."

"She likes it when you annoy her Ziggy," Flynn said, realizing how completely weird this conversation was, especially for two grown men. He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "And doncha remember all those horrible chick flicks that Summer made us watch? Girls want ta be told that you love them. It's like… confirmation or something."

Ziggy glared at him. "Dr. K," he said indignantly. "Is not like Summer… or the girls from the movies. She's special."

Flynn pinched the bridge of his nose. The man was daft.

"If ya truly believe that she'll hate you for telling her and will immediately hate you for even suggesting it than ya have no business marrying to begin with."

Instead of looking stunned or hurt by his remark Ziggy simply nodded, drawing his knees to his chest. "I know," he said quietly.

They sat in silence for a moment before Ziggy finally admitted, "I don't really think she'd hate me."

"No, a'course not."

"I mean, there is the possibility that she might not feel the same."

"I think that's rather unlikely at this point."

"Or maybe she'd tell me that love is just a stream of electrons that flows to our brains and clouds our judgment or whatever it was she told us when we were watching that one chick flick-"

"It's Dr. K, Ziggy. She was raised to always look at the scientific explanation, not the heart's."

"I still kinda thought it might work out… I mean, I'm not exactly normal either…"

"I… I don' think I'd better comment on that…"

"So now what?!" Ziggy burst out, who had clearly not been listening to any of the Scotsman's commentary.

Flynn rolled his eyes again. "Ziggy… you're making this too complicated. You love her. She loves you. It's been that way for years. Jus' _talk_ to her. If there's something you wanna talk about, bring it up."

"I tried that. I brought up this whole marriage thing… and look how it's going! I mean, I wasn't even going to say anything…. I didn't even have a ring or anything like that, although I do know a little about them. When I was with Fresno Bob he had this fascination with diamonds and he used to have this ruby dealer-"

"Ziggy," Flynn interrupted his blabbing. Honestly, this was why he preferred the solid, quiet company of his father. "Be a man."

Ziggy stopped his tirade abruptly. "Oh right," he said sarcastically. "Because it took you how long to get together with Gemma?"

"Are you really willing to wait as long as I did?" The conversation was going nowhere. Flynn stood up and threw his coat over his shoulders. He paused in the doorway. "I'll tell everyone to settle down until you work it out."

Ziggy looked as though he wanted to say something but instead just nodded resolutely. Flynn shook his head slightly.

"Good luck Zig. Oh… and get well soon.. You always were too _rouchy_ when it came ta be'n in bed."

"Thanks? I think…" and then, right as the door closed… "Wait… what's _rouchy_ mean?"

* * *

*Rouchy is sort of an old dutch word… which for some reason I can always imagine Flynn saying. It's pronounced [Rew-che] and basically means antsy.

* * *

"That is why I want you all to draw diagrams of the vascular and nonvascular plants which are described to you on page 243 of the required text. Please list the four divisions of gymnosperms as well and their different functions on the back of your assignment. Class dismissed."

The students looked at her with mournful eyes, as they always did when she gave them homework on weekends… which she always did. Ziggy was usually lenient, but that had less to do with generosity and more to do with the fact he liked having the weekends off from grading papers.

Dr. K placed a hand to her forehead as the 11th grade honors biology students ran out the door. She hadn't been thinking clearly all day. Somehow the phone call she'd received that morning had ruined everything.

Gem and Gemma had just got back from patrolling the borders of a nearby colony. They'd called her this morning, and before she could even utter 'hello' had chanted out their congratulations on her marriage proposal, saying adorable cutesy sentences like, "We always knew-" "-that you had a crush-" "-on him!"

When she'd finally gotten them to relay the information back, she'd been mortified. How had this gotten out exactly? Had Ziggy told everyone? That _idiot_. That utterly stupid idiot! To think she had trusted him… well there was no way, NO WAY that she could ever agree to it now!

Dr. K rubbed her temples. If there was one thing potentially worse than trying to figure out how to tell Ziggy that she felt as though she'd been injected with the oxytocin, it was the thought of everyone _knowing_ it.

'_I just need to avoid him for now…_' she thought as she walked to the elevator and rode upstairs. '_I just need to regain my thoughts and my dignity and wait for this thing to die down…_'

That was when she walked off the elevator and right into him.

"Ouff!"

"Ouch!"

"Uh… hi…" Ziggy said cheerfully. He looked like a mess. He had a bedhead, his nose from red from blowing it so often and he sounded as though he was holding his nose when he talked.

Dr. K stared at him.

There was nothing special about him at all. Nothing whatsoever! He had told everyone that she accepted his proposal when she hadn't, he had not told her that he loved her first so she wouldn't have to tell him, he had failed to stay in his bedroom all day as she had suggested (well... commanded) and at this moment, she couldn't recall why she had _ever_ found him to be handsome!

"Dr. K?" he asked hoarsely. He was looking at her with an uneasy expression. "Um… you're scaring me."

Dr. K stepped out of the elevator. She continued to stare at him even as he slowly backed away.

"Okay, okay… what did I do now?" Ziggy asked looking worried. "Seriously… because whatever it is, I'm really sorry!"

'_He's a moron_,' she thought fiercely. But even as he stood there, looking beat and tired… he was _her_ moron. That even though he was the polar opposite of a handsome, perfect prince charming, he was perfect for _her_. Because anyone who could wait around for five years for a girl who wouldn't admit that she liked him, would only allow him to kiss her on occasion and always listened to her practice her thirty minute science lectures on him when he had no idea what she was saying was a prince charming. It only stood to reason.

"Gem and Gemma called me this morning to wish me congratulations on my engagement," she said quietly, the anger slowly fading away. Ziggy's eyes widened.

"What?! No way! Flynn never said-"

"Flynn was here?" she asked in monotone, causing him to wince. "FLYNN was here when you were supposed to be RECOVERING?"

"Yeah… um… about that-"

"And I suppose you were talking about our upcoming marriage as well?"

"NO! Well yes, I told him that-"

"Whatever you told him," Dr. K said, her eyes boring holes into his. "I sincerely hope it was that I had accepted."

"It was!" Pause. "WHAT?"

Dr. K smiled. Ziggy looked at her as though she were completely mad. But there was a slow smile building, a smile that seemed like it was lit from within, burning outward.

"Really K?" he asked softly. "I mean, really? Are you sure you're not… I dunno, joking?"

"I'm perfectly serious," she looked up at him and saw he was completely astounded. She couldn't help but smile widely. He abruptly reached out and hugged her, holding her close. He was shaking slightly. Then, just as abruptly, he stepped back and grabbed her shoulders, looking into her eyes.

"Why?" he demanded. "Why would you agree? I mean, I haven't even told you I love you yet!"

And there it was. The opportunity. The window. Dr. K swallowed.

"You need to ask," she said finally, her heart in her throat.

Ziggy blinked at her. Slowly it dawned on him, and the knowing look returned to his eyes. He grinned.

"K… do you love me?"

She thought she had been prepared for this question, she thought she could be brave. Instead she winced and squeezed her eyes shut.

_Words! Come!_

After a moment, Ziggy slowly let go of her shoulders. "It's okay," he said with a sad smile. "I understand."

And he did. Of course he did. But that wasn't good enough. What was it she had told him before? _Success is measured by results, not intentions._

"Yes," she said softly. Then she looked up determinedly, straight into his eyes. "Yes. I do love you."

His eyes widened. He swallowed hard. He took her hands and threaded their fingers together. He seemed at a loss of words. Dr. K smiled.

"Ranger green… I'm not exactly the most traditional girl when it comes to these processes but… I believe at this moment we should be kissing."

Ziggy turned an interesting shade of red and grinned sheepishly. "Uh… yeah, and I really want to… but I kinda have bronchitis, and you're germaphobic, remember?"

Dr. stood on her tiptoes and kissed him in reply. He didn't protest. Thankfully he simply bent his head and put his hand behind her neck, kissing her back. His lips were cracked and disgusting. She didn't care.

When they finally broke apart Ziggy asked, "Hey K… how do you feel about eloping?"

Dr. K grinned. Yes, mentally unstable or not, she belonged with him.

"We'll wait until Sunday night. By then you might be able to breathe again."

He put his arm around her and then walked to the end of the hallway, to his office, and shut the door.

The End

* * *

Thank you all for reading my insanely corny story. (And yes, it definitely is a corny corny fluff-bomb story!) XD

As promised, I will be revising my mistakes. But I start school tomorrow so it'll be slow coming. Thanks everyone!


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